Iran’s New Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei Orders US Bases Closed, Vows Revenge

In his first official message since being appointed, Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei delivered a defiant, hardline opening statement read on state television that called for US military bases in the region to be closed and pledged to “avenge” Iranians killed in the war, citing the Minab school attack.

The address was presented as his first message and urged unity and participation on Quds Day while explicitly demanding closure of American bases.

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Khamenei framed revenge and compensation for “martyrs” as a priority and said Tehran would seek recompense from its enemies.

Khamenei stressed that the leverage of blocking the Strait of Hormuz must remain in Tehran’s toolbox, a declaration echoed across multiple outlets and tied to immediate global energy shocks.

Iranian state media and analysts reported the leader saying the strait should continue to be used as pressure, and international agencies and markets reacted: the International Energy Agency warned of the "largest supply disruption" in history while oil prices spiked above $100 a barrel amid strikes on Gulf energy targets and interruptions to shipments.

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U.S. officials said the U.S. Navy was not yet ready to escort tankers through the waterway.

The new leader signalled a willingness to expand the confrontation beyond rhetoric: he spoke of opening "additional fronts" where adversaries are vulnerable.

“ByiHeartRadio March 12, 2026 Iran's newly appointed supreme leader,Mojtaba Khamenei, hasissued his first public statement since taking power, vowing to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed and threatening revenge for strikes he blames on the United States and Israel — a declaration that sent fresh shockwaves through already volatile global energy markets”

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He vowed to seek compensation and explicitly threatened to seize or destroy enemy assets if recompense was withheld.

He reiterated that attacks on Gulf neighbors and U.S. military targets would continue as part of Tehran’s campaign, reinforcing that the conflict could widen geographically and economically if demands go unmet.

There is notable ambiguity over whether Mojtaba Khamenei personally delivered the address and over his current condition and whereabouts.

State television broadcast the message with another person reading the remarks while a photo of Khamenei appeared on screen, and outlets noted he has not been seen in public since his appointment and may be in a secure location after reportedly being wounded in initial strikes.

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These uncertainties have fueled speculation about who is actually directing Iran’s strategy day-to-day.

Khamenei’s declaration and Tehran’s continued operations have already prompted urgent regional and international responses: mass evacuations and displacement in Lebanon, diplomatic activity aimed at de‑escalation, and international criticism and concern about violations of international law and humanitarian impacts.

“Here are other major updates about the conflict”

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Governments and organisations are scrambling to secure oil supplies and to press for restraint even as military operations, evacuations and diplomatic missions unfold across the Middle East.

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